SheaMoisture Curl Stretch Conditioner Kalahari Melon & Marula Oil — 13 oz container

SheaMoisture · Curl Stretch

Curl Stretch Conditioner Kalahari Melon & Marula Oil

Conditioner / Everyday rinse-out, detangling

Conditioner
Sulfate-free
Silicone-free
Protein-free

Size13 fl oz

Price$10.99 Good valueseen at one store · 13 oz

Price / oz$0.85/ozat 13 oz

Where to buy2 stores · $10.99–10.99

Scent:

Reviewers describe it as fruity, gourmand.

Listing used for research: target.com

Personal fit

Is this right for you?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Wavy–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level High Not in your profile

Oils and butters High Not in your profile

Slip / detangling High Not in your profile

Weight on hair Medium Not in your profile

Fragrance Present Not in your profile

Protein None Not in your profile

Silicone / wax buildup None Not in your profile

Clarifying wash needed Moderate Not in your profile

Scent Fruity · Sweet & vanillaStrength not recorded Not in your profile

Show all 22 factors we check

The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.

Parabens / preservatives None of these listed Not in your profile

Essential oils None listed Not in your profile

Fast-drying alcohol Moderate Not in your profile

Vegan / cruelty-free Not yet verified Not in your profile

Animal-derived ingredients Not yet verified Not in your profile

Heavy humectants Heavy Not in your profile

Hard-water defence High Not in your profile

UV filter None listed Not in your profile

pH adjusted Adjusted Not in your profile

Ingredient list 22 ingredientsAbout average Not in your profile

Price tier Drugstore Not in your profile

Where to buy it TargetOne channel Not in your profile

The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.

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$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Lower cost than most conditioners

$0.85/oz at 13 oz — less than 77% of the 689 conditioners , which mostly run $0.91–3.10/oz.

Price and stores

Great for

Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added

Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet

Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front

Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones

Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list

Cuticle-smoothing pHa pH adjuster brings it to the acidic range hair prefers

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol

Hair that needs proteinthere is none in this list

Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this much richness is right for you depends on your strand thickness, porosity, and how easily your hair flattens — that is what the consultation works out.

What the formula actually does

Read from the label, not the marketing

Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.

Slip and detangling High

Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula.

Oils and butters Rich

Butters near the top: a heavy, softening formula.

Weight on the hair Medium

Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair.

Water-binding (humectants) High

Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here.

Protein None

No protein or amino acids in the list.

Needs detergent to remove No

Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.

Hard-water defence Chelators present

Chelators are present — they bind hard-water and pool minerals.

Fragrance Present

Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.

from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.

Ingredients that matter

The ingredients that change a decision

The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.

Ingredient	What it does	Why it matters	Chip
Water	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Cetearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
Behentrimonium Chloride	conditioning agent	Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through	Detangles
Glycerin	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) OilCoconut Oil	oil	Coats and softens the strand	Softens
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) ButterShea Butter	butter	Heavy softening — this is what makes it rich	Heavy
Sodium Hyaluronate	humectant	Pulls water into the hair	Moisturizes
Sodium Gluconate	hard-water chelator	Binds trace metals	Stabilizes
Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Isopropyl Alcohol	drying alcohol	A small amount, for fast drying	Drying

What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or silicones. No protein — a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list.

Full ingredient list (22)

US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.

1 Water

General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
2 Cetearyl Alcohol

General function
A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.

Role in this product type
In conditioner, cetearyl alcohol gives the emulsion its creamy structure and helps it spread evenly through the hair. Its emollient layer adds slip and a smoother feel.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
May suit dry, coarse, or high-porosity hair that benefits from added slip and a more substantial conditioning film.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Consider if hair is fine or easily flattened: a formula built heavily around fatty alcohols can feel richer than a lightweight conditioner.

BASF
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
3 Behentrimonium Chloride

General function
A positively charged conditioning agent that binds to damaged, negatively charged spots on the hair. It is the main detangling ingredient in most rinse-out conditioners.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Electrokinetic measurement puts the C22 quat ahead of the C16 ones for deposition: the longer chain adds van der Waals stabilisation on top of the charge binding. That extra deposit is what coarse hair usually needs to comb through.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.

International Journal of Cosmetic Science
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
4 Glycerin

General function
A small water-loving molecule that draws moisture into the hair and holds it there. It is the most common softening ingredient in conditioners and leave-ins.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
Water moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.

Scientific Reports
- humectant
5 Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil · Coconut Oil

General function
One of the few oils small enough to move into the strand, which is why it is used for pre-wash treatments. It can feel heavy or stiff on protein-sensitive hair.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Because it penetrates rather than sits on top, it works on hair that loses water through a worn cuticle instead of only slowing evaporation from the surface the way a non-penetrating oil does.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
The exception to the class read: lauric acid is small and linear enough to enter the shaft rather than only coat it, and in comparison testing coconut oil was the one that reduced protein loss from washing on both undamaged and damaged hair.

International Journal of Trichology
- oil
- emollient
6 Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter · Shea Butter

General function
A rich, solid plant butter used for heavy conditioning on coarse or dry hair. High in the list it makes a product decidedly heavy.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
7 Sodium Hyaluronate

General function
A large water-binding molecule that sits on the surface holding moisture.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.
- humectant
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
8 Sodium Gluconate

General function
A gentle, biodegradable chelator that binds hard-water minerals in place of EDTA.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

PubChem
- hard-water chelator
9 Sodium Citrate

General function
Used with citric acid to hold the formula at a steady, slightly acidic pH. It also binds a little hard-water mineral.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
pH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
10 Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil · Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil

General function
Marula oil - light, stable, used for shine and softness.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
11 Watermelon Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
12 Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil

General function
A stable, light oil used for softness and shine.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
- oil
- emollient
13 Citric Acid

General function
Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

International Journal of Trichology
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator
14 Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer

General function
A plant-derived polymer that forms a light film and helps hold a style without a stiff feel.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.

DependsCurls or waves needing flexible hold
How rigid the finish is depends on which polymer it is and what the formula pairs with it, not on there being one.
- film former
- emollient
15 Polyquaternium-10

General function
A cellulose-based conditioning polymer that leaves a thin, static-reducing film. Very common in shampoos as the ingredient that keeps them from stripping.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitCurls or waves needing flexible hold
Cationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
A cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Film formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
16 Diheptyl Succinate

General function
A light plant-derived ester used as a silicone alternative for slip and a dry, smooth finish.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
A light emollient: it softens the surface with noticeably less weight than an oil or a butter.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Spreads thin and lowers friction between strands without the heaviness of a fixed oil.

PubChem
- light ester
- emollient
17 Fragrance

General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May not suitFragrance-sensitive routines
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
18 Lactic Acid

General function
An acid used to set pH and, in scalp products, to loosen flakes.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
High-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Binds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant moves water in whichever direction the air allows: it holds moisture in humid conditions and can pull it back out of hair in very dry ones.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
- humectant
- exfoliant
19 Isopropyl Alcohol

General function
A fast-evaporating alcohol used as a solvent and to speed drying. Well down the list it is a processing aid; near the top it can leave hair feeling dry.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Evaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.

PubChem
- drying alcohol
- solvent
20 Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
21 Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
22 Potassium Sorbate
- preservative

What the whole list adds up to

8 emollients
4 oils
3 humectants
3 hard-water chelators
3 pH adjusters
2 solvents
2 thickeners
2 conditioning agents
2 film formers
2 preservatives
1 fatty alcohol
1 cleanser
1 butter
1 sealant

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-22. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 13 oz

Seen at $10.99 1 store · checked Aug 30

Good value under $30 Under $2.29/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 8 products we score as doing the same job

Usually a good value. Most stores sell it under the $30 line, and products that do this job typically go for about $36 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 13 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it1 listing · 1 store

Target
$10.99

13 oz · $0.84/oz

Aug 30Lowest per oz

Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product. and 1 listing we don’t count — grey-market or unverified sellers.

How we work this out

13 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
Seen at $10.99 is the price we have observed for the 13 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $30 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.29/oz; at 13 oz that is $30. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
About $36 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 13 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

It carries the working systems a conditioner needs and still sits in the lower part of the price range for conditioners per ounce.

How the score is counted

1 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs less per ounce than 77% of the 689 conditioners we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a conditioner should do
Reviewers mention 4 things they like about how it performs

Conditioning agents up frontWhat makes wet hair comb through.3 pts
Oils or butters in the working zoneSoftens the strand rather than just coating it.2 pts
Slip for detanglingReduces the force it takes to comb wet hair.2 pts
A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
A pH adjusterBrings the formula to the acidic pH hair prefers.1 pt
Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt

The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.

Does the same job, for less

Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.

CantuLowest cost per oz Cantu Care for Kids Nourishing Conditioner $0.44/oz $0.41/oz less

Protein-free
Curly method
Silicone-free

· Close function

Function: Film formers
Also: Coconut scent, not fruity
Cruelty-free
16 oz bottle

Compare

See more alternatives in the product library

These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget

Final decision

Should you buy it?

A solid pick for the hair it suits

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein who want a protein-free formula and real detangling slip

Biggest tradeoff

Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, very dry or high-damage hair, or soft, over-stretchy hair that needs protein

Best alternative if not

Cantu Cantu Care for Kids Nourishing Conditioner — for similar results at a lower price

We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.

Claims check

What the brand says, against what the formula shows

Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Deep hydration, damage repair, silky slip and easy comb through

Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.

Cetearyl Alcohol
Glycerin
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil

Supported

Helps hair feel hydrated.

Transforms curls from dry and shrunken to visibly healthy, voluminous curls

Heavy emollients sit high in the list, which usually works against lift.

Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil
Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter
Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil

Potential conflict

Likely to weigh hair down.

How to read this

We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.

Reviewers

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.

A little product goes a long way given its creamy consistency

Deep, lasting hydration that leaves hair shiny and does not weigh curls down

Strong detangling slip that makes wet combing much easier on curly/coily hair

reviewers with curly/coily hair

Enhances curl bounce, volume and definition; fragrance described as fruity/candy-like

Reported too heavy for fine or finer curl types by some reviewers, leaving hair feeling dry despite hydration claims

reviewers with fine hair

How this page was made

Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
3 sources consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 3 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-25.
Ingredient references are linked for 10 of 17 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-25.